Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

Royal Palace, Vijayanagara Empire.

The day was bustling with energy as the carriages made their way to the capital. It was the nobles from the list of the candidates for the royal council. Some local nobles were also invited to serve as an audience to spread rumors among the smaller nobles in the Empire.

Harsha was walking to the royal court to attend the meeting to form the royal council under his rule.

He, along with his small group, had put together a list of potential candidates for the council. They needed visionary people in the council, unlike the ranks of the old people who might oppose change.

Although this would upset some people. It was inevitable to move the Empire forward. He needed the leeway to implement laws and reforms without much resistance.

Harsha wanted to put talented individuals in the council despite their status. Historically, the council of Vijayanagara was all filled by high-ranking nobles. They assisted with the implementation of laws for the citizen.

But this had a flaw since talent wasn't just found from noble blood and it can be found in everyone regardless of the status. He wanted a meritocratic system in the council, but he knew it couldn't be implemented without taking a massive hit in his political influence.

By ignoring the nobles, he would cause displeasure and can lead them to instigate a revolution.

As a new Emperor, it wasn't time yet to implement such a drastic measure.

"Viswa, did everyone arrive?."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Viswa responded, walking behind him with a stack of papers.

He finally reached the Royal Court, where everyone on the list of candidates was gathered.

The doors swung open, heralding the entrance of Harsha Deva Raya, the Emperor of the Vijayanagar Empire. As everyone rose to their feet in respect, the room echoed,

"Long live your majesty."

With a wave of his hand, Harsha motioned for everyone to be seated.

His eyes scanned the people gathered, their expressions ranging from curiosity to excitement.

Harsha walked up to the throne and sat down at his rightful place.

"Today, I have called you for a very special occasion that would serve as a foundation for our Empire's future."

He looked at the faces of the already-seated candidates and continued.

"We shall establish the Royal Council under my rule to aid me in policymaking for the Empire."

Harsha shifted his tone.

"The new council under me shall not be like the previous royal councils. There will be not only nobles in the Council but also commoners that excel in their respective fields."

Some nobles had expressions of displeasure but couldn't say a word under the powerful gaze of Harsha.

A young noble from the audience raised his hand to ask a question. Harsha shifted his gaze to the young noble.

"Your Majesty, How many positions will the commoners occupy?"

"Half of the positions in the Royal Council." He replied confidently.

Another noble inquired. "What if someone is not up to mark for the seat of the council?"

"Fret not. They are just representatives, not wielders of power. I, as the monarch, retain the authority to remove anyone from their position should the need arise."

The old patriarch of Nayakas raised his hand with a smirk on his face.

"Is the position permanent?, Your Majesty."

Harsha smirked at the question. He knew the old man would ask this question.

"No!! The position shall not be permanent. I will have people monitor your work and progress. If you fail to meet the standards while some other candidates do.

You shall be replaced with said candidate. This shall apply to both nobles and commoners. So smaller nobles also have a chance to get a seat in the council."

A young commoner raised his hand. He was a candidate found by Viswa for the extreme dedication to studying religion and starting reformation campaigns.

He was a well-spoken young man. A lanky man with long hair and a thick beard. He stood with elegance and surprising calmness before Harsha.

"Your Majesty, if I may pose a question!." He asked with a slight bow.

"Yes, you may ask."

"There is a chance that the nobles who don't want to see the rise of some commoners attack their family and them indirectly or directly using their wealth and influence."

He continued with a serious expression. His voice echoing and capturing the attention of the audience.

"How will they be able to function if they are under constant threats from the nobles who don't want to see them rise in position?"

He continued with a pitiful expression.

"And lastly, what if nobles replace the council seat with commoners that are loyal to their cause?"

These were valid concerns raised by the man. He was quite intrigued that the man had thought so far ahead and did raise problems with his system to address.

Although the solution for this problem was much simpler, it was a good instance to raise his influence among the commoners.

"What's your name?" Harsha asked with a sly smirk.

"Bhaskara Aryananda, Your Majesty." He said it with a curt bow.

"You indeed raised a valid concern that a commoner might have when tasked with such a huge responsibility."

Bhaskara glanced at him with curious expression.

"Worry not. I have a solution for your concerns. The commoners who are selected as the members of the council will receive protection for their family and them, provided and funded by the Empire."

Murmurs broke out in the audience by the declaration.

"Further more, thorough vetting will be done before a candidate is selected. So a bribed candidate would be filtered out, and the noble caught for bribery of a candidate shall be punished severely for trying to impede the royal authority of the Emperor."

Harsha declared in a cold and calm manner, sending shivers among the nobles in the audience.

The nobles gathered knew better than to upset the man who took the throne of Vijayanagara, emerging from nothing within the span of one year.

"Now that everyone's concerns are done. Let's begin with the candidates for the council."